Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visits Kuwait: The right time to take bilateral relations to new heights

On the occasion of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his wife's upcoming official visit to Kuwait, Vietnamese Ambassador to Kuwait Nguyen Duc Thang shared with TG&VN about the significance and key contents of the visit.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and other ASEAN-GCC leaders attend the ASEAN-GCC Summit on May 27 in Malaysia. (Photo: Quang Hoa)

How does the Ambassador assess the significance and key contents of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's visit to Kuwait in the context of the two countries moving towards celebrating 50 years of diplomatic relations (1976-2026)?

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's visit to Kuwait holds immense significance, not only for bilateral relations between Vietnam and Kuwait in particular, but also for affirming Vietnam's policy of developing relations with the region in general.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Kuwait Nguyen Duc Thang. (Source: Vietnamese Embassy in Kuwait)

This diplomatic activity is a continuation of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's visit to three Gulf countries in 2024; it demonstrates Vietnam's determination to implement its foreign policy strategy towards the Middle East region, and to promptly realize Resolution 59-NQ/TW on international integration in the new situation.

Through high-level foreign affairs activities, we continue to strengthen friendly relations, enhance political trust, expand markets, and explore areas with great potential for cooperation with Kuwait.

This is the first visit to Kuwait by a high-ranking Vietnamese leader in 16 years, taking place at a time when the two countries are preparing to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in January 2026.

It can be confidently asserted that this is the opportune time for the two countries to consolidate and strengthen bilateral relations, elevating them to a new level and making a practical contribution to the development goals of both countries.

For Vietnam, the goal is to become a developing country with modern industry and be among the top 30 economies in the world by 2030, striving to become a developed, high-income, prosperous and happy country by 2045; for Kuwait, the "Vision 2035" is to make this country a leading financial and commercial center in the region and the world.

On the other hand, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's visit to Kuwait comes at a time when the country is assuming the chairmanship of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Recently, Kuwait has adjusted its policies, paying more attention to Asian countries, including the ASEAN group of nations.

Kuwait proactively participated in the signing of the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) in September 2023. In the two recent ASEAN-GCC summits (October 2023 and May 2025), Kuwait played an active role, participating in many important issues of cooperation between the blocs.

With its full potential and position, Vietnam can work with Kuwait to bridge inter-regional cooperation between ASEAN and the GCC. At the same time, we hope that Kuwait will play its role in promoting the commencement of negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) between Vietnam and the GCC as early as 2025.

During the visit, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh will have many important activities, including meetings with the Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, official talks with Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, and meetings with several ministers and leaders of key economic corporations.

The two sides will review the progress made in the friendship and cooperation over the past half century, as well as exchange and agree on directions, measures and determine a framework for deeper and broader cooperation in the coming time.

The highlight of the visit was Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's policy speech at the Kuwait Diplomatic Academy, a prestigious institution for training and academic exchange that meets Kuwait's needs for developing human resources in foreign affairs to a level commensurate with its standing in the Arab region and the world.

Through his speech, the Prime Minister will convey a strong message about Vietnam's steady progress in socio-economic development, while highlighting Vietnam's policies and priorities in promoting close and multifaceted cooperation with the Middle East region in general and Kuwait in particular within a long-term strategic vision.

Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Hang held a political consultation meeting with Kuwait's Assistant Foreign Minister Sameeh Issa Gohar Hayat on September 22.

Looking back on nearly five decades of bilateral relations, what are the Ambassador's observations regarding the most outstanding aspects of cooperation between the two countries?

Oil and gas investment and trade are prominent features in the current bilateral relationship. The Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) manages the world's fourth-largest sovereign wealth fund, with approximately $1.065 trillion (after Norway, China, and the UAE), playing a crucial role in overseas investment allocation.

To date, Kuwait is the Middle Eastern country with the largest total investment in Vietnam, most notably the Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical Plant project with a capital contribution of up to 3.5 billion USD. The stable oil supply from Kuwait has helped the Nghi Son Refinery contribute up to 35% of the petroleum products consumed in the domestic market.

In addition, the two countries have also maintained other areas of cooperation with positive results. The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development has supported essential infrastructure projects in Vietnam for many years, with a total value of 182 million USD through 15 projects in many provinces and cities.

In the field of local cooperation, there are currently several cooperation agreements between the two countries, such as between Ho Chi Minh City and Ahmadi Province, and between Thanh Hoa Province and Farwaniya Province, thereby promoting delegation exchanges, trade promotion, and people-to-people interactions.

In the field of education and training, the Kuwaiti government has created favorable conditions to grant scholarships for many Vietnamese students to study Arabic at Kuwait University every year since 2013.

After 50 years of establishing diplomatic relations, Vietnam and Kuwait are currently witnessing wide-open opportunities to develop potential fields such as energy security, food security, investment in implementing projects on financial centers and technology infrastructure, tourism cooperation, etc.

In the context of the world's strong shift to renewable energy, Vietnam and Kuwait have many opportunities to cooperate in developing green and clean energy, meeting the international goals and commitments of each country.

On the other hand, Vietnam confidently positions itself as one of the world's leading exporters of agricultural and aquatic products, capable of providing a rich, stable, and long-term supply of Halal-certified products to the Kuwaiti market. The governments of both countries are also accelerating digital transformation, considering the development of databases and the application of AI as crucial foundations for the future development of each nation.

Vietnam and Kuwait recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of the signing of their bilateral trade agreement (May 3, 1995 - May 3, 2025); total import and export turnover between Vietnam and Kuwait in 2024 reached US$7.3 billion – the highest level of bilateral trade for Vietnam in the Middle East. According to the Ambassador, how will these milestones create momentum for Vietnam-Kuwait economic cooperation in the new phase?

After three decades, Vietnam-Kuwait trade cooperation has made encouraging progress, both in scale and quality. It can be affirmed that oil and gas is the most important component contributing to bilateral trade between the two countries to date.

Importing large quantities of oil from Kuwait ensures a stable supply for the Nghi Son refinery's production. Cooperation in oil, gas, and energy in general between the two countries can now be further developed in many new directions based on this project. Vietnam is fully qualified to become the largest oil storage and distribution center in Southeast Asia, giving Kuwait broader access to regional markets.

In addition, our export products to the Kuwait market have become increasingly diverse and have higher value in recent times, including agricultural and aquatic products, fruits, wooden products, machinery and equipment, electronic products, etc. Vietnam's export products always receive positive reviews from consumers in Kuwait, where the local people have one of the highest incomes in the world.

In the future, the two countries could also promote cooperation on other major economic projects, such as helping to create new financial centers in the region.

Vietnam can become a gateway for Kuwait to expand investment to Southeast Asia, while Kuwait plays the role of a strategic partner helping Vietnam access the Middle East and neighboring markets.

The results from the bilateral trade agreement have provided further impetus for the implementation of other agreements and memoranda of understanding in many fields such as finance, agriculture, aviation, culture, and tourism. This is an important foundation for Vietnam and Kuwait to build a strong and friendly cooperative relationship, further strengthening the ties between the people of the two countries in the future.

Ambassador Nguyen Duc Thang listens to Kuwaiti businesses share their experiences in entering the market, as part of the 30th anniversary celebration of the Vietnam-Kuwait Trade Agreement, on May 25th. (Source: Vietnamese Embassy in Kuwait)

The Southeast Asia-Gulf connectivity is increasingly being realized through strong cooperation between ASEAN and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in recent years. What significance do these multilateral connections have for Vietnam-Kuwait cooperation, and how can Vietnam-Kuwait cooperation contribute to the linkage between the two regions, Ambassador?

Vietnam and Kuwait have always maintained a tradition of mutual support and assistance at international forums, including important mechanisms and committees at the United Nations of which both countries are members. In terms of multilateral cooperation, the two countries can also benefit greatly from the Southeast Asia-Gulf connectivity that has been promoted recently.

The ASEAN-GCC cooperation process has become more clearly defined through the two summits over the past three years. Both sides have outlined an action plan for the next five years; however, a leading coordinating country from each bloc is still lacking.

As one of the nine ASEAN countries with permanent representative offices in Kuwait, Vietnam is currently playing an active role in many activities to promote practical cooperation and enhance the image of Southeast Asia to politicians, scholars and Kuwaiti people. Vietnam is also seeking the support of Kuwait - the current Chair of the GCC - to promote the initiation of negotiations to sign a Vietnam-GCC Free Trade Agreement.

In a volatile global context, the cooperation between Vietnam and Kuwait in promoting multilateralism, peace, sustainable development, and actively participating in humanitarian missions will contribute to enhancing the roles of both countries on the international stage.

More importantly, both countries are qualified and ready to become a bridge to promote cooperation between ASEAN and GCC on both political and economic levels, opening up a promising process of linking the two regions in the future.

The Vietnamese Embassy co-organized an event to promote ASEAN culture and tourism in Kuwait on May 18. (Source: Vietnamese Embassy in Kuwait)

Could you please share your cherished plans for 2026, the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations?

The 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year comes at a time when the Vietnam-Kuwait relationship is being established on a new, higher and deeper framework, requiring efforts from both sides.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Kuwait will prioritize the implementation of a number of practical and effective activities and measures in the coming year to create momentum for a new phase of cooperation between the two countries.

First of all, we need to immediately start working and implement the results and commitments achieved during Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's official visit to Kuwait this month.

We will need to quickly develop action plans for each area of ​​cooperation with a long-term vision and strategy to exploit the potential and strengths of each country. Specifically, priority should first be given to promoting cooperation with Kuwait in the fields of oil and gas, energy, investment, food security, digital transformation, civil infrastructure development, and tourism.

The Embassy continues to prioritize close coordination between the two countries' Ministries of Foreign Affairs to maintain and promote the mechanism of high-level delegation exchanges, not only through official visits but also at multilateral forums and events.

Through regular friendly contacts between the leaders of the two countries in various forms, both sides will strengthen trust and build close and effective channels of engagement between high-level leaders, and eventually between ministries, departments, and functional agencies, in order to enhance coordination on important issues.

The Embassy will also actively promote the two sides to hold meetings of the Intergovernmental Committee on economic, trade and scientific and technological cooperation, political consultations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs level, and exchange delegations between ministries, branches and localities of the two countries more frequently and substantially.

Through this process, both sides can review and assess the progress of work, and promptly resolve any arising issues. In fact, Kuwaiti traditional culture values ​​direct work and friendly relations, which is the first step towards a lasting cooperative relationship.

After half a century, the friendly relations between Vietnam and Kuwait need to be further nurtured, especially by strengthening ties between localities and people through cultural diplomacy activities. More and more Kuwaitis are choosing Vietnam for vacations, exploring nature, cuisine, and East Asian culture.

The embassy will focus on implementing cultural promotion activities, tourism promotion, and tapping into the great potential from Kuwaiti tourists in particular and the Middle East region in general.

Political commitment between the two countries, along with close and synchronized coordination at all levels and sectors, will be key for Vietnam and Kuwait to overcome difficulties and differences together, maximize opportunities and potential for each side, and resolutely move the bilateral relationship into a new chapter of development with more strategic and sustainable content.

Thank you very much, Ambassador!

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/thu-tuong-pham-minh-chinh-tham-kuwait-thoi-diem-chin-muoi-dua-quan-he-song-phuong-len-tam-cao-moi-334273.html